CSN Education Department - Field Observation Activities

Packet

Greetings Future Educator,

One of the most rewarding aspects of EDU 201, EDU 202 and EDU 203 is the opportunity you’ll have to
observe in a school classroom where students are actively engaged in learning. Each of these three CSN
courses require all students to complete a 10 hour "Field Observation" in a Clark County public school.

Once your placement is processed, you will receive details regarding your assigned school from your
CSN professor. Only then, will you contact the school and meet with your CCSD “cooperating teacher”.
Both you and your cooperating teacher will design a mutually agreeable schedule to complete your
required contact hours once you meet for the first time.

Within this packet, you will find the required field experience assignments and other documents that you
must complete in order to pass this class.

Your Name: Amanda Burnside CSN Course: EDU201

Professor: Saladino Professor’s email: Steve.saladino@csn.edu

CCSD School: Hummel Cooperating Teacher: Sigrid Uribe

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Save this completed packet for this class, and your Education Capstone Course, (EDU 299). Your CSN
instructor will let you know their required format for submitting the observation assignments within this
packet.

BEFORE ARRIVING ON THE FIRST DAY...

1. Locate your assigned school on a map, or via the CCSD website, and arrive during the Initial
Visitation Week dates provided to you by your CSN instructor. This initial visit will be your
chance to gather information about your assigned cooperating CCSD teacher. School locations
and other information can be found on the CCSD web site at http://ccsd.net/schools/contact-
information/

2. Pre-plan for an on-time arrival, and make sure that all interaction with CCSD employees and
students is respectful, courteous, and professional. You are a guest in their school, and a
representative of this class and the college. CCSD is allowing you to visit their school to further
your understanding of the teaching profession. It is imperative that your actions reflect a
willingness to learn, and are reflective of a future professional educator.

3. The first half of your field observation/experience will be centered around learning about the
school you were assigned, and focusing on the general and unique characteristics of its culture.
You will be looking at and reflecting upon things that are going on in the classroom at the school
level that you were assigned. You are simply observing during this time. Your cooperating teacher
will give you guidance on how your experience can be expanded beyond simple observations,
when he/she feels comfortable with your professionalism and skills.

UPON ARRIVAL THE FIRST DAY…

Check in at the school office and let the Office Manager know that you are a CSN Education student who
has been placed with a cooperating teacher at their school for Field Observation. Be patient while the
information you’ll need is located by the Office Manager. The request for placement came through
Interact™ from our Field Observation Coordinator, and has been pre-approved by the school’s
administrator. During this initial visit, some of you may be sent directly to the classroom to meet your
cooperating teacher, some of you may be given contact information for the cooperating teacher, and then
will return on a different day for your first classroom visit.

UPON ARRIVAL TO THE CLASSROOM…

Introduce yourself to your assigned Cooperating Teacher. Since this is your first visit, ask the teacher
where he/she would like you to sit while you complete your observation hours for this CSN Introduction to
Education class. Show the teacher this “Field Observation Activities Packet”, as well as the last 3 pages
which contain the “Cooperating Teacher Information”, the “Time Log” and “Field Observation
Student Evaluation” pages. Let the teacher know that you will be taking notes during the observation
for your packet assignments, and that you will be asking him/her to verify your hours of attendance, and
evaluate your participation once the total observation hours are complete.

DEPARTMENT OF TEACHER EDUCATION FIELD EXPERIENCE GUIDELINES

Standards of Conduct
You are student representatives of the CSN Education Department and the teaching profession.
Candidates are expected to maintain high standards of personal and professional ethics.

Attendance and Punctuality

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Regular attendance and punctuality are mandatory. Once you plan a schedule with the cooperating
teacher, this becomes an agreement in which you are expected to adhere to. You are expected to
sign in and out at the school (as required by the school office and/or program). In case of illness or
emergency, you must contact the assigned school and let them know you will not be in attendance on
that day so they can notify your cooperating teacher.

Relationships
You should exercise respectful discretion when voicing your personal views. It is important that your
demeanor and opinions remain confidential. Under no circumstances can information about any students
be released to, or discussed with, any unauthorized person. It is forbidden to have any contact with
students outside of the classroom you are assigned. This restriction also includes CSN students
contacting CCSD students using any electronic means or through the use of social media.

Dress Code
CSN Department of Education wants you to be a success. Therefore we have established a dress code
for students fulfilling their observation requirement in the assigned school district. Appearance creates
credibility; make a good first impression by dressing professionally.

Required Acceptable Attire:

Males:
• Shirts with collars
• Ties (optional) with button down shirts
• Khakis, trousers, slacks; belts if pants have loops, (no sagging, rips or tears)
• Simple jewelry
• Shoes and socks that cover the toes and heels

Females:
• Shirts or blouses that cover the shoulders & waist; no see-through or mesh
• Sweaters worn over shirt
• Pants, pantsuits, khakis, trousers, slacks (no sagging, rips or tears)
• Jumpers, dresses, skirts (in length from 2" above the knee to the ankle)
• Shoes and socks that cover the toes and heels
• Leggings worn under dresses/skirts/jumpers
• Simple jewelry or none
• Little (daytime) make-up

Not Acceptable Attire: jeans, shorts, tank tops, halter tops, muscle T-shirts, tight fitting clothing,
warmups, sandals, flip flops, stilettos; no cleavage showing, no sagging or frayed hems; no head covering
except for religious reasons, such as a yarmulke or turban-like. No nontraditional hair colors/styles.
Undergarments and tattoos should be covered. Remove facial jewelry. No perfume. *School principal/
supervisor has the sole discretion on questionable clothing or appearance that distracts from student
learning.

Classroom Conduct:
At all times, the cooperating teacher maintains legal responsibility for pupils in his or her classroom. You
should never assume that responsibility and be left unsupervised with children. You should not discipline
students. You are an observer, who should take notes to discuss during your next education class
meeting, or to record in your Field Observation packet.

Professional Conduct:
Never speak to staff or students in an abusive manner.
Never touch or be alone with a student for any reason.

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 Never give a student food, drink, or other items without the teacher’s permission.
Never take photos/video of students or staff without written permission from the principal.
Never make or accept calls/text using any communication device.

REVIEW THE TERMS of the CCSD Waiver Forms you agreed to:
“Student Statement of Responsibility” (Exhibit B)
“Student Confidentiality Statement” (Exhibit C)

These 2 waiver documents MUST be agreed to during the Field Observation registration process in order
to secure your placement. Completion of the Field Observation is a PASS/FAIL component of the course.

ASSIGNMENT 1 (Observations): After arrival, take a seat in a nonintrusive location to begin your
classroom observations. Complete the questions below:

Observation 1: What are your first impressions of the classroom environment? Warm?... Friendly?...
Organized?... etc Describe the physical environment in detail. Very Warm. You get the feeling they are
here to learn. Rules are enforced and there is a schedule. The walls are very decorated with artwork done
by the students and learning tools.

Observation 2: Please describe the student make-up of the class, including gender, ethnicity, ELL,
students with physical challenges, and any other apparent attributes that are important to note. The class
is very varied. There was one student who only spoke Arabic. There seemed to be an even amount of
boys and girls.

Observation 3: What are the posted class rules in the room? (exactly as written)

Classroom rules:
Gentle Hands
Be Kind
Treat others the way you want to be treated.
Walking Feet
Don’t talk when others are talking.
Listen to others
No throwing
No lying or stealing!
Eyes on your own tests
Include others even if they are different
Put stuff away
No faking.
We agree to the rules signed.

Observation 4: Does the teacher enforce these posted rules? Are rewards or consequences being used
for compliance or noncompliance? Yes they are enforced. She refers to the rules if she notices a student
breaking them.

ASSIGNMENT 2 (Classroom Layout): Use graph paper or drawing software to create an accurate
overhead view, labeled drawing, of your assigned classroom before answering the questions below.

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 White Board Smart Board White Board

Desk

Ta
le b
Teachers Desk

Projector
Desk Desk Desk
Desk Desk

Desk Desk Desk

Desk Desk
Computers

Desk Desk Desk Desk

Desk Desk
Desk Desk Desk Desk

Desk
Door

Bookcases/Library Sink

Classroom Layout Question 1: Describe the workflow of the room. Is the space used efficiently? The
room is very small but laid out so it is workable. All the space is utilized efficiently.

Classroom Layout Question 2: In your opinion, how can the physical arrangement of the room be
improved? I think the room is set up well given the small space. Maybe the desks could be placed in a U
shape so there would be more floor and walking space.

ASSIGNMENT 3 (Instruction): Observe any instructional time in your assigned classroom, and record
your observations when presented with the questions below:

Instruction Question 1: What is the posted daily schedule for different subjects or periods?
Daily Schedule
Gym, Arrival, Calendar, Math, Writing, Lunch, Recess, Writing, RTI, Computers, Reading, Daily 4
Instruction Question 2: Is instruction done in small groups, centers, whole groups, individual? Most of
the instruction is done is a whole. The Daily 4 is instruction that is done in centers. There is also small
group instruction during RTI.

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Instruction Question 3: How would you describe your cooperating teacher’s teaching style? She was
very organized. You could tell the students respected her. She was friendly but firm. She acknowledge a
job well done every time.

Instruction Question 4: Does the teacher incorporate the sensory modalities (learning styles)? If so,
give examples. Yes. Most of the learning was very hand on. They had to pick out body parts for monsters
that they were making. They then had to take them back to their desks and cut them out and glue them
on to their monster.

Instruction Question 5: Do the students seem engaged in the lesson(s) that are being presented?
Please explain. Yes. Most of the students always listen when she speaks. There were a few moments
where she would have to stop and get their attention.

Instruction Question 6: Are there any students isolated from the rest of the class for any reason? Why?
There was one student who sat in the front of the classroom in a desk right against the white board. It
seemed to me that was because he was easily distracted by other students.

Instruction Question 7: Is instructional time managed efficiently? Please explain Yes. There was a lot of
free reading time for students when they would finish their work. With the special they went to in the
morning and the RTI instructing it seemed like time was very limited.

Instruction Question 8: How does the cooperating teacher handle transitions from one subject or period
to another, and are these transitions efficient? She makes sure everyone is focused. And paying
attention. She makes sure they respond when she tells them what is next and checks for understanding.

Instruction Question 9: List ways that the teacher attempts any “attention getting” commands? (Ex:
Countdown, Light flicker, Heads on Desk) How effective are they? If she needs them to quiet she tells
them to put a bubble in their mouth. To get their attention when they would get rowdy she would say
hands up and the kids would raise their hands and say everybody stop.

Instruction Question 10: What specific behavior issues does the teacher have to deal with? How does
the teacher deal with these behavior issues? Be specific. If certain students would not stop talking to each
other she would separate them. If certain students would misbehave she would send a note home to their
parents or tell them they would get points off.

Instruction Question 11: Are there any policies or procedures in place that help or hinder instructional
time? If so, explain them and how they help or hinder use of instructional time. Time seemed limited
because of the specials the kids attended and RTI. During RTI when should would be focused on a
specific group of students the other kids would be left to free reading. They had a very early lunch and
recess and it made the students seem restless the second half of the day.

ASSIGNMENT 4 (Culture): Using the information provided below, carefully observe and evaluate the
culture of the school where you are assigned to observe. Remember you are evaluating the school for its
educational culture, place of learning, sense of safety, invitation for learning, promotion of
selfactualization, development of values and socialization.

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Physical Characteristics: Look at the physical areas of the school to determine atmosphere, comfort,
and feelings the school creates for students in the educational setting.

1. Consider the school property: building, grounds, fencing, equipment, landscaping, trees,
parking lot, crosswalks, gates, signs and symbols. The entire school is fenced. There is only
access to the office from the outside.

2. Next, study the interior of the school: halls, floor coverings, lighting, doors, windows, hall
colors and decorations and entrance security. There are lots of photos around the school and
many direction signs telling where different pods are located. There are portables at the back of
the school.

Culture of the School: Read, listen and observe to determine the climate, values, and atmosphere
within the school.

1. Identify the school’s mission statement, motto, and mascot. The school mascot is a Hawk.
Mission Statement: The staff, student, families, and community of John R. Hummel are
committed to providing students opportunities to become socially responsible citizens who will
succeed as contributing members of society. Together we will nurture a positive learning
environment and build a solid academic foundation to achieve individual student excellence.
Hummel Promise: I promise to be responsible for my own behavior and I will do more than is
expected of me today. I will give my best effort because I came to school prepared to learn.
Motto: Every Child…Every Day… Student Achievement.
2. Analyze staff and visitor interactions in the main office. Note student and faculty interactions in
other areas of the school. Everyone in the front office was very friendly and greeted everyone
immediately when they entered.

3. Look at the formal practices: School bell schedule, and the grouping of students. (ie. grades,
block scheduling, periods) Does the school use inclusion, or a pull-out program for special
education students? There is a pull-out program for RTI students. Some would stay, and others
would go to other classrooms. Others would not be involved in RTI at all. There were students
from other classrooms who would come in for her RTI group.

4. Observe student-to-student interactions, inside and outside of the building. Observe where
students gather to socialize – lunchroom, halls, playground, etc. I never really saw any groups
of students outside of the classroom. Inside of the classroom the students would separate
themselves off into small groups to read together and complete activities.

5. Examine school traditions, achievements and awards; community recognition or community

partners; extracurricular activities/clubs and athletics. Look for and document sources of
community pride and sense of identity through ceremonies, assemblies, trophies, and artifacts.
There were a lot of flyers and pamphlets in the office for different activities. There were plaques
on the walls and recognition for certain students displayed.

Culture of the Classroom: Each classroom has its own culture and way of life.

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 1. Look for teacher(s) expectations for learning and success, interactions with students, and
his/her personality. She expects them all to take their time completing their assignments. She
would tell them it is better to complete it the right way than be the fastest. She focused on them
listening and making sure they followed instructions always.

2. Evaluate the level of student participation in the class. Who participates? Who does not?
What modifications, accommodations, and/or inclusion techniques were observed? Most of the
students in the classroom participated. There was always lots of hands raised when a question
was asked. They all seemed like they are very active learners. There was a lot of absences daily.

3. Evaluate the interactions between teachers and students, rapport, cohesiveness,

distribution of power, tone, frequency and reinforcements. All the students seemed to respect her.
She talked to them like they were people and did not baby any of them. She always reinforced
good behavior and if a student was not listening she would separate them from the group.

ASSIGNMENT 5 (Cooperating Teacher Interview): Complete the questions below by interviewing your
cooperating teacher during a convenient time. Include any school documents that your cooperating
teacher will allow you to photocopy for your packet.

Interview Question 1: What was the primary reason you became a teacher? My mother was a teacher.
She decided to get a degree in early childhood education.
Interview Question 2: What are the main challenges you face as a teacher? Most of the classroom items
you must provide yourself. The class sizes are very large and there is a lack of parent involvement. There
is a lot of paperwork that needs to be completed.
Interview Question 3: What is the best part of being a teacher? Being able to influence so many
children. It feels great to be able to have an impact on someone’s life.
Interview Question 4: How do you determine where students sit in class? At first the students can
choose their own seats. You find out very quickly who can and cannot sit next to each other.
Interview Question 5: How do you determine the members of any flexible groups? The students are
grouped by their reading and spelling levels.
Interview Question 6: Beyond standardized testing, what assessments do you use regularly? There is a
program they use called study island. They also take AR tests which help determine their reading levels.
Interview Question 7: What requirements are placed on you for reporting progress to parents? The
parents get a progress report home every three weeks.
Interview Question 8: How often do you interact with a student’s parents in person, and what type of
discussions do you typically have? Most of the time never. They have an app called Remind that some of
the parents are on and Class Dojo. Most parents never respond to anything.
Interview Question 9: How much grading do you complete on a daily/weekly basis? A ton. A total work
day would be 10-12 hours. Several hours a day.
Interview Question 10: How long does it take to prepare lessons for the day/week? An additional 2-3
hours weekly.
Interview Question 11: What procedures or strategies do you use to maximize instructional time? Make
sure they are aware of the rules and how the class runs during the first week of school.
Interview Question 12: What positive reinforcement programs have you had success with, and what
behavioral consequences seem most effective with this age group? I give our Reward Cords which they
can earn for anything. They can turn in class dojo points for rewards. We are required to send notes
home to be signed if they misbehave.
Interview Question 13: How are specialist teachers involved in the instructional planning process? They
have their own separate classes.

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Interview Question 14: How often are you evaluated, and what measurement tool is used by the
administration for determining your teaching performance? 1-3 years/3 times. This principle we have now
only does it once and I am not sure of the tool she uses to measure.
Interview Question 15: What consequences are there if your evaluation is not favorable? No many/ We
can be moved schools if we do not perform well.
Interview Question 16: What types of support do you receive instructionally, financially, or professionally
from the school, parent organization or school district to enhance instruction? There are none. The
science books in the classroom are too old to even be taught from. They use them to write on when they
must complete assignments on the carpet.
Interview Question 17: What surprised you most about teaching as a profession? How much you are
expected to do with so little time and support. The lack of parent involvement.

ASSIGNMENT 6 (Observing a student): Discretely observe one student in your assigned classroom
during an extended period of direct instruction. Detail what was going on in the environment, and what
you observed the student doing while the lesson was being given. Make sure to document ALL behavior
in relationship to what was being presented by the classroom teacher. Please describe the setting, the
lesson that was given, if the student was on task and engaged in the lesson, and what you uncovered
about putting yourself in a lesson from the student’s point of view.

Ms. Uribe sat them all on the carpet to give instructions on how they were to take a reading test. The
student sat very focused listening. Then asked a question that the group was supposed to answer she
would respond with the group. She would respond to other kids when they spoke out loud or answer a
question the teacher asked. Ms. Uribe had to tell her to not talk out of turn many times. She did not follow
the instructions the teacher gave of tiptoeing back to their desk to begin the reading test. She instead
started talking to another student before going back to her desk. Once she was at her desk to take the
test she was quiet and seemed to be focused on the task in front of her. Watching the way each individual
student responded was interesting. Some were very engaged asking questions and raising their hands to
answer. Some were content to just sit and listen quietly. By the end they all seemed to understand what it
is that needed to be done. Once she finished her test and received her “Reward Cord” she started
becoming restless while the other students finished. She was out of her seat and playing with her reward
cord. She sat on the ground instead of her seat. Ms. Uribe had to tell her multiple times to calm down and
be patient until everyone had finished their tests.

ASSIGNMENT 7 (Summary): Thoroughly summarize and reflect upon your entire 10 hour Field
Observation Placement.

I really enjoyed observing in this second-grade class. I felt that the way the teacher I observed
taught was very similar to how I would want to be. You could tell the students had a great deal of respect

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for her. She was authoritative yet very friendly and encouraging. It was enjoyable to me to watch the
students learning and grasping the concepts that were being taught. The class size was very large which
made it seem difficult to provide any individual attention to students. I liked how structured the day was
and the positive reinforcement she provided to the students. I thought the “Reward Cord” idea was very
cute, and the students seemed to enjoy it. They received these cards for completing different activities
and put them on a cord they could wear during class. During RTI instruction some students left the class
for different groups and some came in to join Ms. Uribe’s RTI group. During this time the rest of the class
was free reading or taking AR tests at the computers in the classroom or on the iPad. I like that they call
all the students “friend” and the little saying she had to get the students attention or to quiet them down.
The classroom environment was open and decorated with student’s projects and writings. There was also
a lot of fun informational posters. The students were always very engaged during instruction and it was
fun to watch even though some of them would talk out of turn and get over excited. I think the free
reading time the students were able to engage in is very beneficial and teaches them to be independent
and still follow instructions. They would take it upon themselves to take AR tests, which would place their
reading level. The way the room was decorated made it feel very welcoming and like it was a fun place to
learn. They had several bookcases of books for the students to read and they were all separated.
Halloween themed books and Thanksgiving themed books were put on a separate shelf for the students
to choose from. There were two students that were chosen as librarians for the week and during free
reading they could lay on reading pillows in the library part of the classroom. The library had specific rules
and all the students followed them. Everyone I met at the school was very friendly and helpful. They
seemed happy to see me there when I would show up for my observation hours and I enjoyed the
reaction I also got from the students when they would see me. This experience made it even more clear
to me that this is the profession I want to be in. I can see that it is very difficult at times and exhausting,
but I feel the rewards of the profession will outweigh all of that. I find the idea of setting up a classroom
and helping students grow very fun and rewarding. I feel that I was most worried about how to correct a
child who is acting up and this experience helped with that. I feel that this is a profession where you must
be very organized to do. I really enjoyed the buzz of the classroom and the excitement on the students
faces when they did a good job or learned something new.

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